Savoring Sweet Savannah
On early Sunday morning, we arrived at the Amtrak station ready to leave for Jacksonville, Florida. However, as we described in our last post, we had just endured a long 14-hour day on our bicycles, riding through scorching sun, pounding rain, and getting lost in a totally unfamiliar city. We had only slept about four hours, and couldn’t imagine going through with our plan to arrive in Jacksonville in the late afternoon just to ride six miles to our campsite at a small blueberry farm, then continue cycling another 50 miles bright and early the next morning. We were just too tired and too new at this to feel ready for it, so we decided, right there at the station, to change our destination from Jacksonville to Savannah, GA, and upgrade to a sleeper cabin so that we could sleep on the train and get a shower in too, because we hadn’t showered since sweating all the way through the Everglades for two days. Yuck!
The train ride was a wonderful experience. Neither of us had ever ridden the Amtrak before, and had no idea what to expect. All the staff were friendly and helpful, especially when it came to checking in our bicycles and our bags. The cabin was cozy but quite comfortable, and we were both able to shower and take a couple of naps as we headed north. We loved watching the scenery go by as we relaxed and let our muscles recover from the previous day. While on the train, we tried to make arrangements to stay with someone through Couchsurfing or Warm Showers but had no luck, so we had to book a room at a hotel six miles from the train station.
We arrived at the station at around 9:30 PM. We were surprised to find that it was only 44 degrees outside, having left Miami that morning in about 70 degrees. We bundled up, packed up our bikes, and rode the six miles to the hotel. We had booked two nights at the hotel so that we could spend one day in Savannah, and since we weren’t in a rush, we decided that we could sleep in and get up late on Monday morning.
The next day we rode the bus over to downtown Savannah, prepared to sightsee while also doing a couple of errands, especially washing the laundry from the thunderstorm in the Everglades. We had a wonderful time seeing the city, and were sad that we had to leave the next morning.
Little did we know, however, that the weather on Tuesday would be working against us. We got up in the morning to discover that we would be riding Northwest to Statesboro in 20-30 MPH headwinds, possibly in the rain. After much deliberation, we decided that the weather would not be safe to ride in, especially since there are nearly no safe places to stop between Savannah and Statesboro, other than a couple of convenience stores in tiny towns. We made the decision to stay one more night in Savannah, and spend that day enjoying the city. Andrea went to the lobby to add another night to our stay, and ended up chatting with the friendly manager about our trip, farming, and her home country of India. She was generous enough to share some traditional Indian snacks that she had brought with her, and we very much enjoyed them. (Thank you, kind Days Inn manager! I don't know how to spell your name…)
Since we had already run all of our errands the day before, we were able to take our time and get to know Savannah a bit better. The city is beautiful, both in its architecture and nature. The architecture reflects the rich history of the city, with some buildings that have been standing since the 19th century alongside modern buildings and new construction. Some of the centuries-old architecture had been restored to look new, others had been built upon, and others were allowed to age and have been left with a rustic patina that adds to the visual character of the city. The natural beauty of the city shines in it’s many city squares, which are like small parks spread out throughout the downtown area, as well as at the city’s central park, Forsyth Park. Throughout the city, there are ancient trees that stand draped with Spanish Moss, rose bushes, and native azaleas in full bloom in brilliant shades of fuschia, pink, and white.
While walking through the city, it was easy to see how the city was originally built for pedestrians and horse carriages, but had to adapt over time to accommodate for street cars, then automobiles. Because many of the streets are narrow and designed for navigating more slowly, people driving their cars seemed more patient there than in most other cities we’ve been in. Pedestrians definitely have the right of way there, and the slow pace seems to make everyone calmer and less hectic than more crowded and fast-paced cities like Los Angeles and Miami. It was easy to slow ourselves down and savor the relaxed atmosphere, and we enjoyed spending some time just sitting at Forsyth Park, watching people walking, playing with their children and sitting and chatting at the park benches.
In contrast to the calm atmosphere, however, there were many historical monuments throughout the city that memorialized more tumultuous times that the city has survived, including the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. It was interesting to encounter statues dedicated to Confederate heroes in the more affluent areas of town after riding the bus with people of color through other areas of the city that seem to have never escaped the poverty of slavery and segregation. As outsiders to the city, it is easy to see that it’s rich history is alive in both magnificent and melancholy ways. Regardless, the people of Savannah of every color were warm and welcoming, and all were happy to help when we had questions. We were glad to be able to experience Savannah over the last two days, and we are now ready to ride on, through Statesboro and into South Carolina. Our next stop: Thorn Chase Cottage and Farm, on Johns Island, which is just South of Charleston. It's time for the Farm Cyclers to return to farming!
